Sadhu to IT: All of recovered booty not mine

Former RJD MP Anirudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav, the estranged brother-in-law of party chief Lalu Prasad, has accepted to owning only a part of the booty recovered from three thieves, who confessed to committing burglary at his residence here on June 12.

Former RJD MP Anirudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav, the estranged brother-in-law of party chief Lalu Prasad, has accepted to owning only a part of the booty recovered from three thieves, who confessed to committing burglary at his residence on June 12.

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Though the cash recovered by the police is Rs 39 lakh, the stolen amount is estimated at around Rs 80 lakh because the thieves bought land besides spending on other things. The police also recovered a good haul of jewellery, which was yet to be valued.

In his statement to the income tax sleuths, Prasad denied that the entire stolen booty — cash and jewellery — recovered from the thieves was his. The former MP also parried many questions, seeking some time from taxmen to respond to them. The I-T has allowed him time till mid-August.

If I-T sources were to be believed, the former MP's statement was contradictory to what the thieves had told the taxmen under oath. The thieves had categorically confessed to committing the robbery that day only from Prasad's house.

However, Prasad, in his statement to the I-T, claimed that the burglars ought to have committed burglary at other places as well, as the entire booty recovered from them was not his.

Prasad also claimed that only a fraction of the jewellery recovered was that of his daughter, wife, besides some being his ancestral. The I-T allows 500 gms of jewellery per woman. The IT act mandates that one has to file wealth tax return if it was Rs 30 lakh or more.

Though the lower court had agreed to get the valuation of the recovered jewellery done, the police was yet to act. The I-T department has already requested the police to get the valuation of the jewellery done from a registered IT valuer at the earliest.

Awaiting valuation report of the recovered jewellery, Prasad refused to respond to specific queries from taxmen about them. Sources said that 50-60 gold items had been recovered by the police.

Director, income tax (investigation), Kumar Sanjay, told HT: "We have recorded his (Anirudh Prasad's) preliminary statement. He did not have full facts to respond to some our queries and has sought more time, which we have allowed."

Prasad was issued summon under section 131 of the income tax act.

The three alleged thieves arrested by the police on July 20 are — Kundan Kumar Sah, Vikas Kumar and Santosh Kumar, all Patna-based.